1888–89 Stoke F.C. season

Stoke
1888–89 season
Chairman Mr S.Barker
Manager Harry Lockett
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League 12th (12 Points)
FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Top goalscorer League: Bob McSkimming (6)
All: Bob McSkimming (6)
Highest home attendance 5,000 vs Blackburn Rovers (1 December 1888)
Lowest home attendance 1,500 vs Everton (15 December 1888)
Average home attendance 3,450
Home colours
1889–90 →

The 1888–89 season was Stoke's first season in the Football League which had just been founded. Because of this Stoke became one of the founder members of the Football League.

Prior the the 1888–89 season clubs played in friendlies as well as the FA Cup which was made available for all teams to enter in 1883. However Once a team has been knocked out of the cup there was little excitement for players and supporters and so a league format was advocated by the chairman of Aston Villa, William McGregor and in the spring of 1888 the Football League was formed with McGregor as its first president. Harry Lockett represented Stoke at the meeting in London and served as the League's first Secretary from 1888 to 1902.[1]

Contents

Overview

League

Stoke's first league match was at the Victoria Ground against midlands rivals and FA Cup holders West Bromwich Albion. A crowd in excess of 4,500 attended the contest which was won 2–0 by the visitors thanks to late goals from Joe Wilson and George Woodhall which meant that the baggies were the first side to be top of the table.[1]

Stoke had the misfortune to finish bottom of the table albeit on goal-average at the end of the first league season after only winning 4 of their 22 matches. These were 3–0 both home and away over Notts County the team who finished level on points with Stoke, 4–3 v Burnley and 2–1 against Blackburn Rovers.[1] Frank Staton had the honour of scoring the club's first league goal which came in a 5–1 loss at Aston Villa.[1] Stoke's first win was against Notts County on the 22 September with two goals from Billy Tunncliffe and a strike from the clubs first Scottish player Bob McSkimming who went on be the leading goalscorer with six.[1] Stoke's heaviest defeat was a 7–0 loss away at the eventual winners of both League and cup Preston North End. Two Stoke players failed to board the train on the morning of that game at Deepdale and so Preston agreed to loan two of their reserves (Bill Smalley and Alfred Dempsey) to make up the numbers.[1] Alf Underwood and Bob McSkimming were Stoke's only ever-presents and Bill Rowley only missed one game. Stoke successfully applied for re-election to the Football League along with Notts County, Derby and Burnley.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup the Stoke management make a mistake and decided to play their reserve side in a qualifying round match against Warwick County which they lost 2–1.[1]

Final league Table

Pos Team Pld W D L F A GA GD Pts
1 Preston North End 22 18 4 0 74 15 4.933 + 59 40
2 Aston Villa 22 12 5 5 61 43 1.419 + 18 29
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 22 12 4 6 50 37 1.351 + 13 28
4 Blackburn Rovers 22 10 6 6 66 45 1.467 + 21 26
5 Bolton Wanderers 22 10 2 10 63 59 1.068 + 4 22
6 West Bromwich Albion 22 10 2 10 40 46 0.870 – 6 22
7 Accrington 22 6 8 8 48 48 1.000 ± 0 20
8 Everton 22 9 2 11 35 46 0.761 – 11 20
9 Burnley 22 7 3 12 42 62 0.677 – 20 17
10 Derby County 22 7 2 13 41 61 0.672 – 20 16
11 Notts County 22 5 2 15 40 73 0.548 – 33 12
12 Stoke 22 4 4 14 26 51 0.510 – 25 12
Key
League Champions
FA Cup Winners (see Preston North End)
Re-elected
Failed re-election (none)

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League

Main article: 1888–89 Football League
Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 8 September 1888 West Bromwich Albion H 0 – 2 4,524
2 15 September 1888 Aston Villa A 1 – 5 3,000 Staton
3 22 September 1888 Notts County H 3 – 0 3,000 Tunnicliffe (2), McSkimming
4 29 September 1888 Accrington H 2 – 4 5,000 Staton, McSkimming
5 6 October 1888 Preston North End A 0 – 7 3,500
6 13 October 1888 Bolton Wanderers A 1 – 2 3,000 Slater
7 20 October 1888 Burnley H 4 – 3 4,500 Sloane, Tunnicliffe (2), Lawton
8 27 October 1888 Blackburn Rovers A 2 – 5 3,000 McSkimming (2)
9 3 November 1888 Aston Villa H 1 – 1 4,000 Shutt
10 12 November 1888 Preston North End H 0 – 3 4,500
11 17 November 1888 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0 – 1 2,500
12 24 November 1888 Notts County A 3 – 0 2,500 McSkimming, Milarvie (2)
13 1 December 1888 Blackburn Rovers H 2 – 1 5,000 McSkimming, Edge
14 8 December 1888 Burnley A 1 – 2 3,000 Edge
15 15 December 1888 Everton H 0 – 0 1,500
16 22 December 1888 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1 – 4 2,500 Sloane
17 29 December 1888 West Bromwich Albion A 0 – 2 4,900
18 12 January 1889 Everton A 1 – 2 7,000 Milarvie
19 19 January 1889 Bolton Wanderers H 2 – 2 4,000 Milarvie (2)
20 26 January 1889 Derby County A 1 – 2 3,000 Edge
21 6 April 1889 Derby County H 1 – 1 4,000 Sayer
22 20 April 1889 Accrington A 0 – 2 2,000

FA Cup

Main article: 1888–89 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
QR1 10 October 1888 Warwick County H 1 – 2 1,500 Wainwright

Appearances

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Bill Rowley 21 0 0 0 21 0
GK Wilf Merritt 1 0 0 0 1 0
GK Charlie Hassall 0 0 1 0 1 0
FB Tommy Clare 21 0 0 0 21 0
FB Alf Underwood 22 0 0 0 22 0
FB Harry Montford 0 0 1 0 1 0
FB Albert Bourne 0 0 1 0 1 0
HB Billy Hendry 2 0 0 0 2 0
HB Bob Ramsey 21 0 0 0 21 0
HB George Shutt 21 1 0 0 21 1
HB Elijah Smith 21 0 0 0 21 0
HB Edgar Montford 1 0 1 0 2 0
HB Albert Farmer 0 0 1 0 1 0
FW Jimmy Sayer 7 1 1 0 8 1
FW Billy Tunnicliffe 8 4 1 0 9 4
FW Bob McSkimming 22 6 0 0 22 6
FW Frank Staton 4 2 0 0 4 2
FW Alf Edge 19 3 1 0 20 3
FW Tom Wainwright 1 0 1 1 2 1
FW George Slater 2 1 0 0 2 1
FW George Lawton 13 1 0 0 13 1
FW Thomas Moore 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Jimmy Sloane 11 2 0 0 11 2
FW Bob Milarvie 15 5 0 0 15 5
FW Bob Barr 3 0 0 0 3 0
FW Billy Hutchinson 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Charlie Baker 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Freddie Gee 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Bill Smalley 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Alfred Dempsey 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Will Holford 0 0 1 0 1 0
FW Tom Forrester 0 0 1 0 1 0

Pre 1888 FA Cup

1883–84

Main article: 1883–84 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
QR1 10 November 1883 Manchester H 1 – 2 1,000 Johnson

Appearances

Pos. Name FA Cup
Apps Goals
GK Percy Birch 1 0
FB Tom Stanford 1 0
FB M. Mellor 1 0
HB Walter Cox 1 0
HB George Shutt 1 0
HB Elijah Smith 1 0
FW Horace Brown 1 0
FW Jack Yates 1 0
FW Edward Johnson 1 1
FW Ted Wilson 1 0
FW Teddy Bennett 1 0

1884–85

Main article: 1884–85 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result
QR1 11 October 1884 Queens Park A Stoke withdrew from match

1885–86

Main article: 1885–86 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
QR1 31 October 1885 Crewe Alexandra H 2 – 2 2,000 Sayer, Shutt
QR1 Replay 7 November 1885 Crewe Alexandra A 0 – 1 2,000

Appearances

Pos. Name FA Cup
Apps Goals
GK Percy Birch 2 0
FB Tommy Clare 2 0
FB Edgar Montford 2 0
HB Elijah Smith 2 0
HB Horace Brown 2 0
HB Fred Bettany 2 0
FW George Lawton 2 0
FW Alf Edge 2 0
FW Jimmy Sayer 2 1
FW Joe Copestake 2 0
FW George Shutt 2 1

1886–87

Main article: 1886–87 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
QR1 30 October 1886 Caernarfon Wanderers H 10 – 1 5,000 Bennett (3), Edge (5), Clare (2)
QR2 11 November 1886 Crewe Alexandra A 4 – 6 3,500 Edge, Owen, Bennett, Conde (o.g.)

Appearances

Pos. Name FA Cup
Apps Goals
GK Bill Rowley 1 0
GK Arthur Broomhall 1 0
FB Tommy Clare 2 2
FB Horace Brown 1 0
FB Elijah Smith 1 0
HB Richard Chadwick 1 0
HB George Shutt 2 0
HB Will Holford 1 0
HB George Bateman 1 0
FW George Farmer 1 0
FW Jimmy Sayer 2 0
FW Lewis Ballham 2 0
FW Teddy Bennett 2 4
FW Alf Edge 2 6
FW Wally Owen 2 1

1887–88

Main article: 1887–88 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R1 5 October 1887 Burslem Port Vale H 1 – 0 3,000 Lawton
R2 5 November 1887 Over Wanderers A 3 – 0 3,000 Lawton, Edge, Owen
R3 26 November 1887 Oswestry Town H 3 – 0 3,000 Ballham, Edge, Owen
R4 Stoke received a Bye
R5 7 January 1888 West Bromwich Albion A 1 – 4 3,000 Owen

Appearances

Pos. Name FA Cup
Apps Goals
GK Bill Rowley 4 0
FB Tommy Clare 4 0
FB Alf Underwood 4 0
HB Elijah Smith 4 0
HB George Shutt 4 0
HB Joe Broadhurst 1 0
HB Stan Meakin 1 0
HB Will Holford 2 0
FW Jimmy Sayer 3 0
FW George Lawton 4 2
FW Lewis Ballham 4 1
FW Alf Edge 4 2
FW Wally Owen 4 3
FW Doug Millward 1 0

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0952415100. 
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